Betsy J. Photography

Betsy J. Photography Colorado based elopement photographer helping couples craft unique, meaningful and intentional elopements in the Colorado mountains. www.betsyjphotography.com

Serving Ouray, Ridgway, Telluride, Grand Junction, Montrose and Silverton Colorado.

09/03/2026

What could your San Juan Mountains elopement look like?

Imagine getting ready beside your Jeep high in the mountains, sharing a private first look, saying your vows surrounded by rugged peaks, then slowing down for a lakeside picnic and paddle boarding before the afternoon rain rolls in.

Your elopement day doesn’t have to follow any traditional timeline. It can be quiet, adventurous, intentional, and completely your own.

Are you planning a San Juan mountains elopement in Colorado? I help couples just like you create beautiful elopement days in the San Juan mountains throughout Ouray, Telluride, Silverton and the gorgeous surrounding mountains.

08/28/2026

5 things you need to know about eloping in Colorado

If you’ve decided to skip the traditional wedding and elope in Colorado, here are five things to know first:

1. You can marry yourselves.
Colorado allows self solemnization so you don’t need an officiant.

2. Your dog can sign your marriage license.🐾
Yes, a paw print can be part of your wedding day

3. You may need a permit.
National parks, public lands and popular ceremony locations can have their own rules. Make sure you check with the appropriate agency and get the necessary permit if needed.

4. Mountain weather changes FAST!
Sun, rain, hail, and even snow can happen on the same day. Always have a backup plan and plenty of layers.

5. Colorado is so much bigger than the famous spots.
You don’t have to elope somewhere crowded. The San Juan mountains are filled with incredible places where your day can feel private and wild.

Do you want help planning a Colorado elopement that actually feels like you? I’m Betsy, a Colorado elopement photographer specializing in the San Juan mountains. I help couples just like you plan magical days in these rugged, beautiful mountains get in touch to learn more.

08/25/2026

This is how I scout for your San Juan Mountains elopement…

Scouting is one of the most important parts of how I plan a San Juan mountains elopement.

Before your day, I’m already there looking at access, trails and road conditions, crowds, weather, and maybe most importantly, the light.

I’m not just looking for a beautiful view. I’m looking for the right place at the right time, with enough privacy to let you slow down and actually experience it.

Because when you’re elopement day arrives, you shouldn’t have to worry about any of that. You just get to be there. ❤️

Are you planning any elopement in Ouray, Telluride, Silverton or Ridgway? I’d love to help you find your place in the San Juan mountains. Get in touch and let’s plan something dreamy!

08/23/2026

Would you do this on your San Juan mountains elopement day?

Pop champagne🍾
Bring your dog 🐾
Go paddle boarding 🌊
Share pizza and beer 🍕🍻

Your elopement day can be adventurous, laid-back, romantic, a little unconventional, or all of the above. The best part of choosing a San Juan mountains elopement is creating a day that actually feels like you.

What would you add to your elopement day?

Dreaming of a San Juan mountain elopement? Let’s create a day that feels like you!

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You decide to elope in Ouray, Colorado and your photos look like this… An elopement in Ouray, Colorado looks like quiet ...
08/22/2026

You decide to elope in Ouray, Colorado and your photos look like this…

An elopement in Ouray, Colorado looks like quiet mountain roads, dramatic peaks, wildflower filled basins, and time to slow down and actually experience your wedding day.

Tucked into the San Juan mountains, Ouray it’s perfect for couples who want something intimate, beautiful, and a little off the beaten path. You can exchange vows surrounded by mountains, explore by jeep, wander through an alpine meadow, and end the day with pizza and beer because this is your day.

No big production. No rushing from one thing to the next. Just the two of you, an incredible place, and a wedding day that feels like yours.

If this feels like you’re kind of wedding day, I’d love to help you make it happen. Get in touch through my website!

08/17/2026

Being a landscape photographer changes the way I see an elopement day.

I don’t just look at a beautiful mountain and think this would make a great backdrop. I’m looking at where the light will fall, how the weather is moving, where the shadows will be, how the landscape changes throughout the day, and where you fit into all of it.

I know that sometimes the best photograph isn’t the obvious view. It may be where the light catches the side of a mountain, fog moving through a valley, a reflection in an Alpine Lake, or the two of you looking incredibly small beneath a massive mountain.

Years of photographing landscapes have taught me to wait, watch and anticipate. Light changes. Clouds move. Weather rolls in and out. And sometimes the location that looks ordinary at one moment becomes extraordinary 10 minutes later.

That experience comes with me when I photograph your elopement. Because I don’t want to simply photograph you in the mountains. I want to create photographs that show what it felt like to be there, and why you chose that place for one of the most important days of your lives.

If you’re thinking about planning a San Juan mountains elopement, I help couples just like you plan intimate intentional days in some of the most magical places in Colorado. Get in touch to start planning your dream elopement.

08/16/2026

The best places to elope in the San Juan mountains from a San Juan mountains elopement photographer.

As a San Juan mountains, elopement photographer, I have scouted all over these mountains, and I know spots that I can take you to that will blow your mind. Here are a few of my faves.

1. If you’re in the Silverton area, head up the Alpine loop. This four-wheel-drive road will take you into some of the most rugged beautiful country that you’ve ever seen. In the Summer, wildflowers are abundant and in the fall moody cloudy weather rolls in making some of the overlooks, dramatic and beautiful.

2. If you decide to make Ouray your homebase Yankee boy basin is easily accessible and offers you wide sweeping views, large meadows and amazing waterfalls. Ouray, Silverton and Telluride are only about an hour drive so Ouray is a fabulous spot to be right in the heart of the San Juans.

3. If you’ve decided to elope in Telluride, Bridalveil Falls is a popular hike and makes for beautiful images. But if you would like a little more seclusion and are up for off-roading the road up to Alta Lakes has some of the most epic views and the lakes make for a beautiful, quiet place to say your vows.

No matter where you decide to say your vows in the San Juan mountains, you will be blown away by the epic beauty.

As a San Juan Mountains, elopement photographer, I help couples plan intentional, breathtaking experiences in this magical part of Colorado. I help with logistics planning and location scouting and of course I document every wonderful beautiful moment.

Thinking about eloping in the San Juan mountains? Drop a “yes” in the comments or DM me “yes” and I’ll send you my favorite spots and planning tips.

08/11/2026

Fall is one of the most absolute beautiful times to elope in the San Juan mountains. As a San Juan mountain elopement photographer, I may be biased, but I believe that fall will forever be one of the most stunning seasons to say your vows.

If you’re thinking about planning a fall elopement in the San Juan Mountains, I’d be totally stoked to help you plan it. Get in touch my website in the Bio and let’s start planning your fall elopement in the San Juan mountains.

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Telluride, CO
81435

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